Designed by David Cerny and Tomas Cisar’s Black ‘n Arch Studio, Top Tower in Prague’s Nové Butovice will connect art and architecture with the post-apocalyptic imagery of a shipwreck emerging threateningly from a modern tower block. Visualisation: Trigema.cz.
Czech Rep., Sep 24 (BD) – The studio of David Cerny, the Czech designer known internationally for his wilfully offensive and unsettling artwork, has unveiled proposals for Top Tower, a new skyscraper in Prague which, if constructed, will become the country’s new tallest building at 135 metres, taking over from Brno’s AZ Tower.
The design is distinctive for the enormous rust-coloured shipwreck emerging from the side of the tower, which will gradually be covered in plants as a commentary on the impending climate crisis. The plans were released last week with an accompanying video highlighting environmental issues.
Tomas Cisar, Cerny’s co-designer, said at the unveiling that the tower will be mixed-purpose, with apartments, office space, and retail units. A viewing platform at the top will be accessible by elevator, promising spectacular views of the Prague skyline. The CZK 2 billion project will be funded by Prague developer Trimega, and construction could begin in 2021, pending planning permission. The tower would be Cerny’s third piece in Nové Butovice. According to a press release from Trimega, the project has been in the design phase for two years and the final design was chosen from eight alternative concepts.
David Cerny is known around the world for his provocative art, including Entropa, a 2009 installation artwork to celebrate the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union which deliberately used the most offensive possible stereotypes of each EU member state, and a giant purple statue of a raised middle finger that was floated into the middle of the River Vltava in front of Prague Castle in 2013 to salute President Milos Zeman.
He is also the sculptor behind the famous “tower babies” on Prague’s Zizkov Television Tower, which have been creeping tourists out since 2000. Like much of his work, the new tower seems likely to divide public opinion.
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